My son works in a Rehab section. I don't know if this was his idea or someone else's but I thought it was great. Save those soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, hand lotion, and all the other little samples you get when traveling and pass them on to your local Rehab Center. A lot of the people who pass through there are the homeless, depressed or just don't cares. (I did say a LOT and not all). Anyway, you can imagine the smell of a body who has not bathed in days, weeks or months. His department passes out these samples to those who come in for appointments. Some of them have to be instructed to use them before the next visit. :-) Needless to say, they seem to be appreciated by the receipiants as many do not have the money to buy what most of us consider as neccesities. To these people with a hand to mouth existance, our neccesities are considered a luxory.
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Comments: 22
We (my husband and I) volunteer locally and also bring my homemade soaps to another place, both Food Pantrys. People love the homemade soaps and I make them in all colors, using only essential oils that are so good for you, and I also use cute molds that the little ones get a real kick out of. There are a LOT of places that need help.
Also, other than samples that you happen to get in the mail - for places like your sons and also where we volunteer, we ALL have computers, sign up for some of the Freebie sites and get lots of things, we get several a day, sometimes they're hanging out of our mailbox! And people appreciate it, having some sample of a brand new product that they'd have never had the chance to try other than if you hadn't brought it. One of the Freebie sites on the web (I'm not naming as I'm a Moderator there), had two different razors at once, one for the men, one for the women - the brand new ones that have recently come out and since I've gotten them, and donated them, I know that they come :) It's easy enough to fill out a form for shampoo, soap, razors, you name it, but it's amazing when the stuff actually starts coming. We have a bag-full each week.
You should and must be awfull proud of your son! :)
Thanks for publishing this article.
"Rehab sections" are found in my local yellow pages under Alcoholism and probably could be in yours.
Food Banks, The Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, the Red Cross are usually the easiest to find.
Although it's been ten years since I've been actively involved with such groups, it used to be a rule of thumb that once you contact one agency, they can direct you to numerous others.
"Helper" organizations are usually well networked with each other.
Thanks again.